My Love Follows you where you Go
by the.sweet.far.thing92
Summary: I've seen how it feels through my brothers' eyes. To feel happier than you've To feel happier than you've ever felt in your entire life…I want that. More than anything. It's been nine years since I first phased. And I still haven't found her.
1. Prologue

Prologue

I am the only wolf who wants to imprint.

Sam didn't. It meant ending his relationship with my sister, something that she is still bitter about. Jared didn't mind imprinting, but he was never hoping for it. Quil...well, he imprinted on a toddler. That _definitely_ isn't something he would have asked for. If anything Paul dreaded the idea of imprinting and when he did imprint, he wasn't happy about it.

But me? Ever since I first phased I've been so excited by the prospect of imprinting. I've seen how it feels through my brothers' eyes. To look in someone's eyes and know without a doubt that they're your soul mate. To know that every day you have a purpose, and that purpose is being the best you can be for someone who loves you even at your worst. To feel happier than you've ever felt in your entire life…I want that. More than anything.

It's been nine years since I first phased. And I still haven't found her.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter One

"Baby, what are you wearing?" I'm looking at my son. He's wearing a khaki button-down shirt, pens in the breast pocket, long khaki shorts, a sun hat, long beige socks, and his dark brown hiking boots. He's clutching a clipboard to his chest as he peeks at me through his glasses.

"I'm ready in case I find animals to document. The Pacific Northwest has completely different species than in Illinois."

I sigh as I shuffle through the piles of boxes in the kitchen trying to find the paperwork I need. "Max honey, we're not going anywhere where you'll see animals. We're going to Mommy's new work, then to the grocery store. I don't think you need to be dressed up for a safari, okay?"

Silence. I stop what I'm doing at peer at him. He's getting agitated. "I _need_ to be ready in case I see an animal."

I don't want us to have a bad day. The move has been hard enough on Max so I decide I'm going to indulge him. "Alright baby, that's fine."

Once we're in the car, the first thing Max does is plug himself into his iPod. I smile fondly. I just downloaded the _Journal of Zoology_ podcasts on it and Max can't get enough. I'm sure he's listened to them all a few times but that repetition is something I'm used to. He can't ride in the car without his iPod. He hates noise so usually in the store he'll plug it in too. I call his name to see if he can hear me through his earphones, and after a few seconds of no response I pull out my phone and call his father.

It picks up after the third ring. "William's phone?"

I close my eyes briefly. "Hi Carol. I need to talk to Will." I know she knows it's me and I also know she hates that I call her Carol. But I don't care.

"I don't know what you could possibly need him for now," she huffs. "You're already sucking my son dry of his income and I personally think it's ridiculous that you call him like you're entitled to something more."

I grit my teeth. "I appreciate your opinion, but the law thinks differently, and since we've had a child together I am _entitled_ to funding to support my son."

"Well, if you had just done what we wanted with the boy in the first place this wouldn't be-,"

Before I say something I'm going to regret I interrupt her. "Can I talk to Will now?" I know that haughty tone and I know where she was taking the conversation.

I hear her huff again. "Well I never…" I hear her call out to Will.

"What's up?"

I steel myself for a fight. "Will, it's halfway through the month. I haven't gotten your alimony or child support payments yet and-,"

"Seriously Andy? I told you last week that things are kind of tight at work right now. Listen, I'll pay you double next month. How's that work?"

I know that's a lie. Will's a litigation consultant and whether or not he's successful doesn't matter because his mother funds anything and everything he wants. I _do_ know that he likes to try his luck at Texas Hold 'Em, which is probably where my payments have gone. "That's a load of crap Will! I'm not sitting here waiting for my shopping allowance. This is your _son_. You know I use that money for his therapist and you know that he needs consistency, so when I can't pay for therapy and he stops going he regresses. This is absurd."

His tone is full of exasperation. "Listen. Tell the kid to toughen up. That's how the Brady family does it so since he's my _son_ that's how he can do it."

"You know what Will? I'm not doing this with you. Either I get a check from you in the next week or I'm calling my lawyer and we can deal with it that way," I threaten. I hang up before he responds. Once I've stopped at a red light I bury my head in my hands. Everything with Will regarding Max is a constant battle. The only thing that we were able to agree on is that I could move with Max out of the state of Illinois, where we used to live. He was only too happy to not have to spend every other Saturday awkwardly trying to golf with Max. He never wanted anything to do with it. Sports of any kind are not something he has an interest in, and if Max doesn't want to do something then he doesn't do it. Usually Will would bring him back home in the middle of a tantrum and I've have to take him to his Quiet Room to get him to stop screaming.

I've gotten used to the idea of Will out of Max's life. I wish he had a father who cared more but I know we can do this, just the two of us. That's part of why I moved to Forks, actually. I decided it would be better if Will was completely out of Max's life. The forced interaction was only making Max unstable. That, and I finally found a commercial building I could afford to buy and use as my boutique. It's been a dream of mine since the first day of college when I decided to be a business major. It got put on the back burner once I found out I was pregnant, but I made sure I constantly took out money from my paychecks to save for the right place. I was able to get a business loan and my dream suddenly became a reality for me. Max doesn't like change, so the move has been a little rough for him. But I know that once we've both settled this will be a good change for him.

We arrive at the strip mall where my new space is. It's a good month from opening. Right now renovations are finishing up and painters are here changing the wall color from the faded eggshell color to a teal that I chose. I go to the back door and open it for Max. His headphones are out and he's peering at me with his inquisitive stare. The words out of his mouth cause my stomach to drop: "Dad doesn't like me."

He doesn't say this with any emotion. Rather, it is an observation he has made. I instantly know he heard my phone conversation. _Tricky little rascal_. I reply as neutrally as I can. "Of course he likes you honey. He…he just doesn't understand people who are different. Do you understand that?"

His head tilts to the side. "I'm different than other people."

I want to give him some sort of comforting touch, but he isn't one to be comfortable with close contact. I smooth my hair down instead. "You are. But what do I always say?"

"Differences are what make us interesting," he intones. He seems to be done with our conversation. "I want to get a microscope for my birthday."

I laugh while I help him out of the car. "Well I think you've got awhile till then, baby. You just had your ninth birthday last month, so maybe you can get a microscope for Christmas?"

He shrugs and looks uneasily towards the store. I can hear a power drill buzzing and I know he doesn't like it. "Listen to your iPod Max. Just stay in the store and I promise we'll be out of here soon."

As soon as we walk in my assistant manager Sara is at my side. I hired her to oversee renovations while I got moved here. She's young, a little high-strung, but she knows how to manage and she has been a lifesaver.

"We have a slight…hiccup with renovations," she begins nervously.

"Of course we do," I sigh. "What is it now?"

She talks so quickly it's hard for me to keep up. "Well, the electrician came to install our light fixtures but something or other about the wiring is screwed up so he's going to have to tear into the sealing to rewire it so we can have the chandeliers up and…it's going to double his rate."

I pinch the bridge of my nose. "Okay. I'll go over the books again but we should be able to make up for that somehow. Do we have clothing racks yet?"

She shakes her head. "The delivery truck has apparently got a flat so they said they're not going to get here until tomorrow."

I gaze around at the space. I love it; it's got gorgeous exposed brick and I love the vision that I have for it. Right now, it's a little hard to see the beauty with the wall half painted and a gaping hole in the ceiling. Tarp covers the polished concrete floor and dust from the electrician tearing into the plywood above left a powdery white coating everywhere. "Well it's probably for the best they aren't here yet," I reply. "We don't exactly have everything ready to set them up. I have the paperwork for the inspector to see once he gets here next week. I need you to fax him a copy and then keep it in the file cabinet in the storage room until we're ready to have him here, okay?" I hand her the stack of papers I brought and head over to the painter to check with the status.

An hour or so later I've done what I need to do in the store for now. Max is perched on a stepstool, staring at the wall with his iPod in. I hold out my hand and we head to the car. On the way to the grocery store I look back at Max. At a light I tap him on his leg so he takes his earphones out.

"I was thinking Max…maybe we could invite those boys who live down the street over for dinner sometime soon?" I worry about Max having friends constantly. Socializing was always a struggle for him in Illinois and I want him to start off on the right foot here.

He makes a face. "I don't like them."

"Why?"

"They wear socks and sandals." One of his quirky pet-peeves. He won't get past that with them.

I exhale, trying not to get exasperated. "Honey, remember what Amy said before we left?" Amy was his therapist back home.

His voice is flat. "That I need to have an open mind when I move here."

I nod. "Exactly. So let's make a deal. Let's _try _to meet someone that you might be able to imagine yourself spending time with. Invite them over to dinner, that's it. I'll make whatever you want to eat and then we'll both be happy. How's that sound?"

He shrugs and vaguely answers, "I guess." And then the iPod is back in. He's done with this conversation. My mind is spinning. I worry about Max and I worry about work. There is so much to do just to get my store ready. On top of that, I have to unpack and I have to find Max a behavioral therapist. And a babysitter who can watch him when I have to work. I don't want to drag him to the store all the time once it's open. I'm a little bit overwhelmed but when I glance at Max in the side mirrorI can't help but smile. It's worth it to be a good mom to him. I want to be able to provide for him and to be there to understand him when it seems like no one else does. We're going to get this all figured out.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

"Officer Clearwater! How's the day going?"

I grin at the manager of Fork's grocery store. "Mr. Barnes! Just the same old same old with me. Off duty now and figured I should grab some grub."

He smiles widely back at me. "Well if you need any help don't hesitate. I really can't thank you enough for stopping those kids who were spray painting the side of our building. I was about to throw my back out painting over it." He rubs his back dramatically.

"Sure, sir. Just doing my job."

I've gotta say I'm still not used to people calling me Officer. I'm almost a year into my job and still I think people must be talking to someone else when they call me that. But man I love my job. Forks and La Push aren't exactly the most crime-ridden places in the world. It's mostly petty crimes we're busting people for and other than that we help the community with anything they need. Yeah, I've even helped get someone's pet cat out of a tree. I couldn't ask for a better job. I'm a people person by nature, so I like being out on the town everyday getting to know people.

I frown to myself, trying to decide what I want to eat tonight. I'm not really skilled in the culinary department so I think I'll head to the frozen section. Besides, I'm on patrol duty tonight so I won't exactly have a lot of time to eat. My phone buzzes. It's Mom.

_Do u want to eat with us 2nite?_ I chuckle. Mom hasn't exactly mastered the art of texting. I don't think she realizes with smart phones abbreviations like that are a thing of the past. I type back:

_That's okay. I've got to patrol tonight so I'll just make something fast._

Instant buzz of the phone: _Ok. Luv U._

Don't get me wrong, I hanging out with Mom. And since she married Charlie, the police chief and my boss, I get to hang out at home with him too and I love him. But sometimes I can't help but feel that whenever I go there I get drilled about my dating life. Which is, in fact, nonexistent. Call me optimistic, or hopeless as Leah likes to put it, but I don't want to get attached to someone and then imprint. I know what that does to the person that is left behind: it nearly destroyed Leah and she only began healing when she left the rez to go to college in Seattle. I couldn't let myself hurt someone like that.

But who knows when I'll imprint. _Or if_, I silently remind myself. We thought we had imprinting figured out. First we thought it was rare. But so far four of us have imprinted. And the theories as to why it happens or if that means it'll happen to all of us are all over the place. But I stay optimistic. That's another thing I like about being on the force and getting to roam all over town: I like to think that one day I'll find her.

I pull out a frozen pizza and as the door shuts I frown. Down the aisle is a little boy standing by himself, staring at the ice creams. He's wearing tan from head to toe, including a floppy hat that's got to be five sizes too big for him, and he has earphones in. _Somebody is about to freak out when they realize their kid is missing_. I head over to him. I'm glad I still have my uniform on so that he knows not to be afraid.

I touch him gently on the shoulder and he jumps. He pulls his earphones out and stares silently through coke-bottle glasses. I crouch so I'm on his level and smile as warmly as I can. "Hey buddy. What's your name?"

He takes a step back. "I'm not supposed to talk to strangers."

_Smart kid_. "Well, I'm a police officer and my name is Seth. What's your name?"

He hesitates. "…Max."

"Well it's nice to meet you Max." I hold out my hand for him to shake but he just looks at it. I put it back down by my side. "See? Now we're not strangers anymore. We're friends."

His head tilts to the side and he eyes me curiously. "We are?"

I nod. "Yep. Now, I bet you didn't come here by yourself because I think you might be a little too young to drive a car."

He shrugs. "Yeah…" He trails off and looks around. "My mom is here somewhere."

I stand up to my full height. "Well, I have an idea. Let's go to the front of the store and we can use the intercom to call your mom. Everyone in the store will hear. I bet she's getting a little worried about you." I hold out my hand for him to take.

He looks at my hand for a little bit and I can tell he's still deciding what he thinks about me. Then he nods and takes my hand. "Okay." We meander down the aisle slowly. This kid gets distracted by every new food item he sees.

Suddenly I hear a distressed call behind me. "Max!" A woman is rushing towards us, her eyes locked on the kid. She scoops him away from me, holding him close to her. "I was so worried baby!" She holds him out at shoulder length. "Max, what have I told you about wandering away from me? You _know_ you have to stay by me when we're in a store!"

Max mumbles an apology but then is pulling away to look at more frozen foods. The woman sighs and stands back up, running a hand through her hair. "I'm so sorry, officer," she begins. "I looked away for one second and then he was gone. I hope he wasn't too much trouble." She smiles and looks at me in the eyes. And the world stops.

Her eyes are deep pools of brown, with green flecks dotting them. Her skin is porcelain except for her cheeks, which are flushed to a delicate pink. She's smiling at me with lips so red they're like strawberries and just a hint of dimples poke at her cheek. Her hair is a chestnut shade of brown, curling rebelliously to her shoulders. Her smell hits me like a wave…lavender and vanilla. _It's her_. She's right here, in front of me. I know the feeling instantly. She's all I see, all I want; I would die for her this second if she needed me to. I've imprinted.

She's looking at me expectantly and on the border of uncomfortably. I've missed something she's said. I let out a breath I didn't even realize I was holding. I think I've forgotten how to form words into a sentence. "Um…what?" I want to run from embarrassment. _Nice Seth, meet the woman you've been waiting for all these years and that's the only thing you can say._

"I was saying that Max tends to wander off and I hope he didn't bother you." Her voice is almost musical. She holds out her hand to me. "I'm Andy." She furrows her brow and a blush creeps down her neck. "Well, Andrea. But people call me Andy."

I take her hand gently in mine. It's so tiny that my hand swallows hers. But I can feel calluses on the palms of her hands. _She works hard._ I can feel the wolf inside rumble with approval. We're both ecstatic with our imprint so far. _She has a kid….married? _ For a minute I feel panicked and I quickly glance at her left hand. Relief floods me when I see it's ring-less. I clear my throat, willing words that make sense to come out. "I'm Seth Clearwater. And it was no trouble at all, don't worry!" I can practically feel the eagerness hanging off of my every word.

I feel a slight pressure in my hand and I realize it's her, trying to pull her hand out of mine. I'm still holding it. I let go quickly and she lets out a quiet laugh. I am definitely freaking her out. I look back up at her and the blush is darker. I can hear her heartbeat pick up its pace a little bit. "Well, thank you so much Officer Clearwater." She looks lovingly at Max. "You really are a lifesaver."

I want to beg her not to leave yet. _Say something, Seth!_ "Please, call me Seth. Um…I don't recognize you from around town. Are you new here?"

"Ha! Is it that obvious?" She's tilting her head at me and I see that's where her son picked up the habit from. She looks just like him.

I rub the back of my neck. I've never been so nervous in my life. "I just know everyone around here," I drawl. "You know, being a cop and everything." I want to slap my palm to my forehand. I couldn't sound like more of a caveman if I tried.

She nods slowly. She clearly thinks there's something wrong with me. "Well, like a said, I really owe you one." She grabs Max's hand. "Come on honey, let's go get my cart and check out."

Max resists and looks back to me. "I want to invite him over for dinner," he states.

She runs a hand through her hair, sending her smell my way again. "Honey, we aren't inviting him to dinner," she objects while she crouches to his level. I feel my heart sting, which is ridiculous. She doesn't know me at all so of course she doesn't want me over for dinner.

"But you _said_ if I made a friend then I could have them over for whatever I want!" Max insists. They have a brief stare off; I smile at their identical stubborn expressions.

Finally she sighs and stands, facing me. "Officer Clearwater, would you like to come to our house for dinner tomorrow?"

_Good job, kid!_ I beam at her. "Sure, I would love to," I answer excitedly.

She grabs Max's hand again. "Okay…how about six? I live off of Meadowlark Lane. My house is the one that still has the realtor's sign in it," she laughs. "Haven't had time to take that down yet…"

I nod. "I know which house you're talking about. I'll be there!"

I can tell she has no idea why I'm agreeing to this. "Well, okay then…I guess I'll see you tomorrow." She smiles warmly. "Really, thank you."

With that she's walking away with Max. I take a deep breath, and realize I'm shaking a bit from nervousness. Pizza forgotten, I rush out of the store, pulling out my phone and dialing.

"Hello?"

"Mom, you won't believe what just happened…"


	4. Chapter 3

**Thanks for all who are reading! I'd love some reviews so I know what you all think ;)**

Chapter Three

_What has my son gotten me into?_

I have asked myself this question at least a hundred times today. Except now the adult police officer who Max has decided is his friend will be here any minute. And I am not even close to being ready. Max has requested my homemade chicken pot pie, so my jeans and sweatshirt are covered in flour. I'm a messy cook, but I love it. Except now I don't have time to change what I'm wearing. Why do I even care how I look?

_Because that cop is amazingly good-looking_, I think wryly. It was hard to ignore the instant attraction I felt when I looked into his chocolate eyes. I was already breathless from looking frantically for Max when I'd realized he'd wandered off. Looking at that policeman felt like a sucker punch to my gut. I know I'm not the only one who felt the attraction- he stumbled over his words so adorably every time he spoke to me. I smiled to myself while I slid the pie into the oven and set a timer. I will say that Max took an obvious shine to him, and that's unusual. It does mean that he can't be _that_ bad…Max seems to wear people's patience thin very quickly but Officer Clearwater seemed perfectly happy to accept his invitation to dinner.

Just like that, there's a knock at the door. I hear little footsteps pounding down the stairs and Max arrives, looking at me breathlessly. "He's here." He runs down the hall towards the door, calling, "You have to let him in!"

I shake my head incredulously. Max is…excited to see him? That is beyond shocking to me. I wipe my hands on my jeans and follow him to the front door. I gape as soon as I opened it. I remember he is tall, but he's going to have to stoop just to get inside the house. My heart sputters and picks up to double-time when I see him. He's wearing a tight black t-shirt that hugs his muscled torso tightly and paired it with a dark wash pair of jeans that clung to him in all of the right places. _Good lord he is toned_, I think appreciatively. Massive biceps poke out of his sleeves. I realize he's smiling sheepishly, waiting for me to say something. I feel my face flushing. "Officer Clearwater," I murmur. "Thank you for coming. Come on in."

He rubs his neck. "Thanks, but please, call me Seth." He saunters into the house and crouches down so he is at Max's level. "Hey Max!"

I do a double take when I see Max reaching for Seth's hand. "Come on. I have to show you my room."

He pulls Seth down the hall and up the stairs. It is such a cute sight, seeing little Max dragging such a big man around. I follow them upstairs and into Max's room. We're still in boxes, so all that is set up is his bed, desk, and toy box. He rushes to the toy box and begins pulling plastic animals out. "This is a komodo dragon," he says, handing it to Seth, "they can poison your blood if one bites you." He pulls out another. "And this is an alligator snapping turtle. They live in Florida but one time I saw one at the zoo."

Seth is chuckling and I shake my head while Max digs for more toys. "Max sweetie, I think he's seen enough of your toys."

"I really don't mind," Seth claims, smiling at me with perfectly white teeth. His attention turns back to Max thankfully, because I feel the blush rising on my cheeks again. "So you like animals, huh Max?"

Max nods solemnly and leads Seth to his desk. There, he has a small model of an elephant skeleton he hasn't finished building. "I'm going to be a zoologist when I grow up." He looks at Seth, and I see excitement in his eyes. "Do you want to watch Planet Earth with me?" he asks eagerly.

I open my mouth to protest but Seth is too quick. "Sure!"

Max goes bounding down the stairs to set up the DVD. I laugh softly at him and face Seth. I gasp at his closeness; I come face to face with chest as he towers over me. "You have no idea what you got roped into," I laugh breathily.

"I really don't mind." His voice has dropped huskily while he looks down at me.

_I have _got_ to get in control of my hormones._ I step aside, pressing myself against the doorframe. "Well, Earth awaits you then."

I seem to have broken the spell for both of us. He gives his head a small shake and bounds down the stairs after Max. I take a minute while I'm alone upstairs. What is _wrong_ with me? It's not like I haven't dated a man since Max was born. I've gone on quite a few dates, a few of them overnight dates. It's just that none of them worked out for various reasons. Some bailed as soon as I revealed I had a son. Others…well I just couldn't imagine them meshing well with Max. But still, I'm behaving like a teenage girl with a crush. This is ridiculous. "Get your head on straight, girl," I murmur to myself.

The boys are glued to the TV when I come down. As I pass in front of it to go to the kitchen Seth gives me a wink and my heart jumps again. _So much for getting my head on straight_. I stay by myself in the kitchen until the timer goes off. "Boys! Dinner is ready," I call to them.

As soon as I plop of a serving of the pie onto Max's plate he asks, "Can I watch dinner in the living room?" I know he wants to finish his show.

I run my hand over his hair. "Just don't get crumbs all over the place, okay?" He carefully walks out, balancing his plate and a glass of milk. Soon I hear the documentary back on. I smile warmly at Seth while I scoop him some food. "Thank you for coming tonight. It really means a lot…to both of us."

He shrugs happily. "I'm having a good time too. Max is a sweet kid." He has a seat at our kitchen table and I take one across from him.

"Well, he's just laying on the charm for you," I joke. "Really though, it's tough for him. To make friends. This isn't _exactly_ what I had in mind when I told him to invite someone over for dinner but hey, it's a start, right?"

He cocks his head and looks at me, while shoveling my chicken pot pie in his mouth. "Why's that?" he questions with his mouth full of food.

I poke my head out so I can see what Max is doing in our living room. His eyes are glued to the TV while he slowly chews. "Max has Asperger's Syndrome," I explain in a hushed voice. "So socializing…well, it doesn't come easy for him. He'd rather be by himself. That contributes partially to his obsession with animals and zoology as well. And to the fact that he doesn't really like to be touched. And a lot of other quirks." I eye him curiously. "Although he doesn't seem to mind grabbing your hand. I was shocked when I saw that."

He rubs his neck and chuckles. "Well, I'm good with kids."

I shake my head. "Well I'm his mother and he still doesn't like any kind of affection from me. Although we're working on that. Or we were. We had an amazing behavioral therapist back in Illinois named Amy. She worked with him on his socialization skills, etiquette, physicality…she really was great. I'm going to have to find him one here. It's really important that Max has consistency in his life, you know?" He nods and I laugh nervously. "Well, now that I've vented about my problems…" I trail off.

"I like hearing about it. You two seem like a good pair." His smile at me is dazzling and I feel like I have to work to breathe in and out each time.

Running my hand through my hair, I continue. "We're best buddies, definitely. But like I was saying, I wish he could get to know some kids his own age. He needs to learn how important friendship is. Not that he's learning from example over here," I nervously babble. "Trying to set up my store opening and take care of Max doesn't really give me a lot of time to meet people." _Wow, TMI Andy._

"Wow, a store, huh? What kind of store?"

I smile. I love talking about the store to anyone that'll listen. "It's a boutique, actually. I'm calling it Wanderlust and it's going to have all kinds of merchandise. Clothing, jewelry, knick-knacks people can give as little gifts…once I'm a bit more established I'd really like to work with some of the local businesses to add their merchandise to my store, maybe even fill the whole place with local items."

I can tell Seth is listening to everything I say about the store. He nods his head while I speak and asks all sorts of questions about it. During this he's not only gotten up for a second massive helping of my pot pie, but also a third, which pretty much ends the idea of leftovers. After awhile I stretch out my arms. "I'm sorry," I murmur. "I've done all the talking tonight. And about work of all things," I laugh.

Seth rests his elbows on the table and leans forward. "It's no biggie," he insists. "I like hearing you talk about it. I can tell you have a big passion for what you're doing," he adds with admiration.

I blush. "Yes, I really do love it. It's been my dream since I was in college. It had to wait a few more years than planned, but it's totally worth it." I take a peek at the clock. It's late- I didn't realize so much time has passed. "Max!" I call into the living room. He trudges in with his empty plate. I can tell from his heavy eyelids that he's sleepy. "Say bye to Seth honey. Then go upstairs and get ready for bed. I'll be up there to say goodnight in a couple of minutes, okay?"

Max doesn't move. "We all have to do the dance," he states.

_Oh god_. I shake my head. "Max, no. We'll do it once he leaves, okay?"

Max is insistent. "He's been here all night. He _has_ to do it. He has to!" With that he's sprinting up the stairs.

I laugh nervously while I bury my head in my hands. "I…I have another favor to ask of you."

"You want me to do the dance." Seth intones. "_The_ dance. Whatever that is," he chuckles.

I peek at him through my eyes. "Every night, we do the goodnight dance." He's just looking at me, his smile growing. "You know, to wind us down? Max can get really antsy when he knows it's time for bed, so once he's done getting ready he picks a song off of my iPhone and we dance and then it's time to sleep." He's still just staring with the smile. I blush. "And…you think we're crazy. _I_ think we're crazy. We _are_ crazy. Oh god, you really don't have to do it, I-,"

"Andy, stop." I freeze midsentence. "I think that's great." He stands. "So, let's do this dance. And, sorry when I make you both jealous with my dancing skills," he adds with a wink.

I'm not even sure what to say. "Oh…okay then." I stand up too. "Let's go dance."

He follows me up the stairs to Max's room, where he is waiting patiently in his robot pajamas. I smile. "Okay baby, what are you in the mood for?" I pull a speaker out from under his desk and plug my phone in.

Max contemplates for a minute. "AC/DC!" he exclaims.

I nod and press play. "Good choice." I don't even look at Seth- I know if I do I'll be too embarrassed to dance. The beat to _Thunder _begins and Max and I nod our heads along with it. The music gets louder and the dancing starts.

Max is jumping up and down, waving his arms around. I jump with him and shake my hips, laughing. This is my favorite thing to do with Max. He dances and he doesn't care what's going on in the world. It's just me and him, completely being ourselves together. And now Seth is with us. I glance at him and he's rocking an air guitar, playing the solo. I'm laughing harder now at how ridiculous he looks. Suddenly he's grabbed my hands and we're spinning, faster and faster until everything is a blur. I cry out as I hold onto Seth tighter and shut my eyes. If I let go I know I'll fall.

And then the song is over. The spinning stops and I almost topple over trying to get to the speaker to turn it off. We're all breathless and even Max is laughing with us. _He danced with us_, I can't help but think giddily. "That. Was. The best dance we've ever done," Max huffs.

I beam at him. "You know what Max? I think it was too." I glance at Seth and this time I'm the one winking.

I don't even have to coax Max into bed. He climbs in without question, pulling the covers up to his chin. "Goodnight Mommy. Goodnight Seth."

Seth pats Max on the head. "Goodnight, buddy. Thanks for inviting me tonight. I hope I get to see you and your Mom soon," he adds, slyly glancing at me.

I give Max a quick kiss on the top of his head. I know he doesn't like that but I can't help it. "Goodnight honey."

I flip his light off as Seth and I leave the room. We make our way downstairs silently, and once we're at the front door I face him.

Seth clears his throat. "Andy, dinner was amazing. Seriously, you are an awesome cook."

"Well I could tell you liked it," I laugh. "You pretty much cleaned me out."

He grins and pats his flat stomach. "What can I say, I have an appetite." He clears his throat again and his expression turns more serious. "Thanks for having me here, Andy. And…about you what you said earlier, about you and Max needing to meet people?" I nod, feeling a little embarrassed about all of my venting earlier. He continues. "A bunch of us are having our monthly bonfire at First Beach this Saturday. On the reservation? I think it'd be really great if you could come." His expression turns sheepish. "I have to drive right by here after work Saturday. I could pick you and Max up on my way?"

_Is this supposed to be a date?_ I hesitate, biting my lip. If he does mean it as a date, it makes me nervous. Even with how well tonight went, I don't like having Max around men I have an interest in. It makes it hard for him when he becomes used to people and then they leave. And I am definitely interested in Seth. After tonight there's no denying it. And if history is any indication none of the men who I date want to deal with Max. But, on the other hand…Seth already seems different. He met Max before he even met me, and he doesn't seem to have a problem dealing with the eccentricities he's seen so far with him. Seth is waiting for an answer, and something in me says I should give this a chance. _Besides,_ I think to myself, _it _may_ be that you just want it to be a date. He may not even mean it that way._

I smile. "We'd love to go with you."


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Usually on nights that I patrol, I get home from work, try to sleep for a few hours, then at midnight I leave. Tonight is different. It's not too late when I get back to my house on the rez from Andy's. But when I lay down to try to sleep, I can't stop my mind from spinning. Every time I close my eyes I see her face, smiling at me. Not that I'm complaining about that. I've never felt so happy in my entire life, and it's all because of Andy. And Max. There's something about that kid that makes me…want to protect him. He seems so innocent and there's a sincerity to everything he says. He's young but he has an intelligence and maturity that I feel so proud of.

_Proud?_ I don't know where that thought came from. He wasn't my kid, but at the same time I feel a connection to Max that I don't really understand. Can the imprint bond extend to the children of our imprint?

I muse on this until my phone buzzes. It's my midnight alarm. I grin as I make my way to my backdoor, stripping clothes along the way. By the time I'm out the door, I'm completely naked and jogging straight into the woods that back my house. I pick up speed, dodging trees and jumping over roots. It's dark but I don't need to see anymore; I can feel my Wolf begin to take over and that's all I need to sense what's around me. Some of us use our rage to phase- they let their anger consume them until the Wolf comes out. But me? I thrive off of the thrill the Wolf brings me. So I run until the Wolf forces itself out because it longs for freedom. I feel my body trembling and I know it's coming. I jump into the air and when I land, it's on four paws.

_Andy. Her smile, the way she laughs, the way her eyes light up when she talks about her store…_

I see her eyes looking into mine_: "Thank you for coming tonight. It really means a lot…to both of us."_

_ "Max has Asperger's Syndrome…Although he doesn't seem to mind grabbing your hand…"_

_ "We'd love to go with you." _

Max peering at me through his glasses, showing me his toys…_He's such an amazing kid, has such an amazing mother._

_ Andy. Andy. The way she moves her hips when she dances. The way she bites her bottom lip when she's thinking. The way her jeans hugged her legs. Her legs wrapped around me while I bite her neck…_

_Okay, I can't take it anymore! _Jared's in my head smirking_. I am _so _glad I don't have to patrol with you tonight. You're going to have to get your thoughts locked up before we all see something we don't want to see._

I huff_. Seriously Jared? Of all people I'm pretty sure you're the worst with the sex thoughts. If I have to see Kim naked one more time…_

Jared growls_. Watch it. _I see his house through his eyes_. Well, I'm out._

I'm alone in my head again. The night air feels cool against my fur as I pick up speed. My ears pick up the sound of a squirrel scurrying up the trees to its nest. I can see everything, down to the dew that's beginning to settle on the grass. Pink buds are beginning to form on the wildflowers that grow. I love giving in to the Wolf. And the Wolf knows exactly where he needs to be.

I can see Andy through her living room window, but I stay hidden in the tree line. Her head is bent down over paperwork she's reading. She frowns and bites her lip in concentration. I hear Max's steady breathing upstairs as he sleeps. Suddenly Andy lets out an adorable yawn, stretching her arms above her head and making her sweatshirt hug her body tightly. My Wolf begs me to go in there, to make her mine.

_Not yet. _I back further into the woods slowly and I'm running again.


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

"Well, this is as good as it's going to get."

I'm eying myself in my bedroom mirror. I have no idea what people wear to bonfires- the last time I went to anything that could remotely be considered at party, I was a junior in college, and I wore a leather miniskirt with a sequined tube top, and something tells me that wouldn't be appropriate for tonight. I've settled on dark wash skinny jeans and a black tank top. I slip on my black knee-high leather boots. I let my hair fall to my shoulders in its natural ringlets. I decide to grab my garnet leather jacket in case it gets chilly. Even though it's summertime I'm learning that hot just isn't a temperature that exists in Washington.

"Max, are you ready yet?" I call down the hallway. Max emerges from his room and I'm surprised to find I'm happy with his clothing choices. He's wearing khaki pants and a red flannel shirt. I nod proudly. "Make sure you grab a jacket, baby."

He nods and disappears back to his room. I check my reflection one more time. _Why do you care so much about looking nice?_ I scold myself. But I already know the answer: I am crazily attracted to Seth. And why wouldn't I be? He's extremely handsome. Just sideways glance from him renders me unable to concentrate on anything. He's a cop, which leads me to believe he's got at least _some_ intelligence. And on top of that, he's so sweet and sensitive. He seems almost like he's attuned to Max and me- he understood and accepted Max before he knew anything about him.

And yet- I feel like there's more to it. I consider Will to be the only man I've ever loved. But the feelings I get just thinking about Seth blow my former feelings out of the water. Why is that? There is something more to it and I want to know what it is.

I hear a knock at the door. Just like a few nights ago Max exclaims, "He's here!" and he is pounding down the stairs. This time he doesn't wait for me to open the door. I hear him swing the door open and say to Seth, "I hope the fire's gonna be big."

Seth chuckles. "You know what? I bet it's going to be _huge_."

Once I'm at the top of the stairs I cough quietly to get the boys' attention. Seth widens his eyes when he sees me. "Wow, Andy, you look incredible."

I blush while I walk down the rest of the stairs. Seth, of course, looks amazing again. He's got on jeans and a dark green v-neck shirt. It still surprises me how much he towers over me. And how nervous I feel when he's around me. I clear my throat while I do my best to clear my thoughts. "Ready to go?"

Seth answers by offering his arm to me, which I take gladly. On the way out the door I grab the cookies I made for the event. I knew I'd feel weird showing up without food, so I made a couple dozen peanut butter cookies so I'd feel like I was contributing. We stroll to his car- a modest green pickup truck- with Max following quietly behind us. Since riding in a vehicle is involved he's brought his iPod, and he's already plugged in, ignoring us. I help strap him into a seatbelt in the backseat and then I'm buckling myself in. Seth, being a complete gentleman, is holding the door open until my seatbelt is on. Then he shuts it and walks to his side. At first we're riding in silence, me enjoying the familiar hum of a truck. My dad had an old truck when I was a kid and I was deathly attached to it. I bawled like a baby when he finally traded it in for a new car.

Seth breaks the silence. "I should warn you," he begins reluctantly. "My friends…are rambunctious. And obnoxious. And loud? But I swear they're pretty cool when you look past all of that."

I laugh. "Well, with that winning endorsement on your part I don't know how I couldn't love them." He laughs too, but nervously. I think he's actually worried about what I'm going to think, and part of me warms at that thought. I rest a hand on his arm gently and he jumps. "I bet they're great Seth," I say, trying to reassure them.

"Well, you're about to find out."

I live close to the reservation. So in no time Seth is turning off the road and riding on gravel. It's still dusk outside so I can see we're at a beach. But not in the traditional sense; instead of sand there are stones lining the ocean. There are more people than I expected, close to twenty in total unloading cars and setting up tables. Seth wasn't kidding when he said there were a bunch of them having a bonfire.

Seth shuts the car off and I turn towards Max, who has pulled off his headphones and is eyeing me. "Max, I need you to do something for me." He's still eyeing me, now warily. "Let's leave the iPod in the car, okay? Let's _try_ to hang out with the other kids."

He gives me such a skeptic look, I swear it makes him look years older. "What if they don't like elephants."

I want to groan. Elephants are Max's favorite animal, and that is what spurred on his zoology obsession. Before I can answer Seth comes to the rescue. "Hey, you know what? There's a girl here named Claire. She's eleven now and you know what her favorite animal in the whole world is? An elephant."

Max considers this for a moment. Then he stuffs his iPod into the back pocket of Seth's seat. "Okay. Let's go."

I eye Seth gratefully while we walk towards everyone on the beach. "You're the best," I whisper lowly.

He grins. "He's a good kid."

Once we get closer I am mobbed by a group of people. I meet Sam, a somberly-faced man who is married to Emily, the beautiful woman with three long scars that begin on one side of her forehead and continue down until they disappear under her shirt. Max is there for that introduction and the eye contact he gives her is startling. "Why do you have those scratches?" he bluntly asks her.

I am going to die of mortification. Before I can reprimand Max, Emily crouches to his level and smiles. Her smile lights up her entire face, even though the side with the scars has a permanent droop. "Well sweetie, a bear came up to me one day and hit me right in the face."

Max cocks his head to the side. "That's really cool," he decides. "Was it a grizzly bear? Or a black bear? You probably got too close to its babies. That really makes them mad." And with that he's running off towards the ocean.

I turn to apologize to Emily but she is smiling sadly at me. "I'm so glad someone just asked me what happened. Right up front. Without the pity or the horror." _Thank God that didn't upset her._

The introductions continue. I meet Jared, a giant man- like everyone here seems to be- with a baby face, and his wife Kim, who clings to his side and smiles shyly at me. Paul is just about the scariest looking man I have ever seen. He seems to have a permanent scowl plastered to his face. But his girlfriend, Arden, punches his arm. "Stop looking so mean," she chides him. She rolls her eyes at me. "Honestly, it's like dealing with a five year-old sometimes," she mutters with a wink. Paul glares at her but it melts so quickly to a smile that I can practically feel his devotion to her.

Seth pulls me away from them and I meet Embry, who stays quiet but shyly waves, and Quil. Quil is boisterous and happy and I instantly like him. "Seth mentioned you had a son, Andy. Is he here?" Quil asks.

I look around for Max. He's at the edge of the ocean, probably searching for marine life. "I do, his name is Max," I reply, gesturing in Max's direction.

Quil nods. "Hey Claire!" A little girl, who looks a bit older than Max, comes running to his side. As soon as she reaches Quil she clings to his waist, eyeing me curiously. Quil crouches to her level. "This is Andy, Seth's friend. She brought her son Max over by the water. Think you can show him around a little?"

She narrows her eyes. "Only if we can get ice cream after the bonfire."

Quil shakes his heading, still smiling. "It'll be _way_ past your bedtime for ice cream. But we'll get some tomorrow, I promise."

Claire considers this for a moment then nodes. "Okay, sure." And with that she goes running towards Max. _Please let Max tolerate her_, I plead to myself.

Meanwhile I grin at Quil while he's standing up. "She seems like a handful," I laugh. "Is she your daughter?"

All of the sudden Quil and Seth both look very uncomfortable. "Um, no…she's Emily's niece," Quil mumbles. "I just babysit her sometimes."

Before I can wonder what I've said wrong, I hear a female's voice behind us. "So, _this_ is who my brother can't seem to shut up about…"

I turn and face possibly the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. She's tall, almost as tall as all of the men here, like an Amazon. Her face has the kind of exotic beauty you'd see in couture magazines. Her ebony hair is cropped to just above her shoulders. She eyes me up and down with a sly smile, then sticks out her hand. "I'm Leah."

_His sister is here_…I was not expecting that. And before I can recover from that shock enough to shake her hand, another woman joins us, and she doesn't even have to say who she is because I can see her resemblance to Leah. "Leah dear, I hope you're being nice. I'm Sue, Seth's mother." She smiles wistfully at me and I _swear_ her eyes are misty. "You are just so beautiful, honey," she says, her voice just above a whisper. "Absolutely _beautiful_."

Seth interrupts after that. "_Mom_, stop being so weird." He smiles sheepishly in my direction.

I've recovered enough from the fact that I'm meeting Seth's family to shake their hands and smile as warmly as I can. "It's so nice to meet the both of you. I'm Andy."

"Oh we know that," Sue says with a wink. "Seth can hardly stop talking about you!"

"Mom!" Seth looks like he wants to sink in the ground. I'm feeling that way too as my face heats up.

Leah snorts. "Seriously, he really hasn't shut up."

I laugh to hide how uncomfortable I feel. We continue to exchange pleasantries but the whole time my mind is in another place. Sure, Sue and Leah seem nice. I can tell Leah has a sassiness that I would love. But…who introduces someone to their family so quickly? I don't even know if this is a date. And Seth doesn't know me at all. For all he knows, I'm completely psychotic. Why do I suddenly feel like I'm in the middle of some kind of crazy family gathering and I'm the only one who doesn't actually belong here?

Finally Sue glances to where tables have been set up. "Well, I'm going to go help set up the food. And Charlie should be here any minute now with the potato salad I asked him to pick up." She takes my plate of cookies gratefully. "You are so sweet for making these, Andy. I'll go set everything up. Please, help yourself to anything to drink!" She gives me one more wistful smile, and then she walks away.

Leah stays. She smirks at Seth. "Seth, I have a feeling Andy doesn't realize just how obsessed you are with her…"

Seth glowers at her, and for as cute as he is, he can look downright scary. "Go to hell, Leah."

She laughs and trots away. Seth smiles sheepishly at me, his cheeks pink. "Leah…likes to mess with me a lot. She didn't mean that. Can I get you anything to drink?"

Everything inside of me tells me to give Seth the benefit of the doubt. So I decide, for now, to push my concerns aside. I rest my hand on his arm briefly. "I would love a beer."

Seth jogs off towards the coolers and I watch while Jared and Paul stack firewood inside a pit. It's good they're starting the fire up now- it's nearly dark. By the time Seth returns the fire is roaring. Even though we aren't very close to it I can still feel the heat of the fire radiating onto me. Seth hands me a bottle and I take it gratefully. I swallow back the beer and let it warm me up. And calm me down. "There sure are a lot of you here," I comment, looking around at everyone. People seem to be paired off completely. Only a few of the men are without a date, and they are standing in a group together, laughing and pushing each other. To my delight Max is crouched by the fire with Claire. They seem to be in deep discussion about something. _Probably elephants, _I think with amusement. I keep scanning the crowd until I see Sue standing with a stiff-looking man in a police uniform. "Do you work with him?" I ask, gesturing towards the man.

Seth nods. "That's my stepdad, and the police chief. Charlie. We've known him since I was little. He and my dad were buddies. They used to go fishing with Billy Black- that man over there in the wheelchair- on the weekends."

"Where's your Dad now?"

Seth coughs and looks down, moving pebbles around with his foot. "He died nine years ago."

I blink, shocked. "And then Charlie married your mom?"

Seth shrugs. "Yeah. I know it seems really weird but he makes her happy. I think at first they both tried to fight how they were feeling, but when you find someone you love, you should be with them, you know? They got married a couple of years ago."

I take another swig of beer and nod. "You know what? I think that's great." I pause, then continue. "Sorry if I was being abrasive just now. I was being nosy. I don't know what came over me." I chuckle awkwardly and then I'm serious again. "And I'm sorry about your dad."

"Hey, it's okay. And I don't mind answering your questions." He gives me a soft smile. "I like talking to you."

I find myself smiling back. I can't even help it. His smile is contagious and I don't mind it. Actually, I like it. I really do.

Everyone begins congregating and lining up at the tables of food. Seth holds out his hand. "Come on, you can save us a spot and I'll get food for the three of us." I interlace my fingers through his. His hand is huge, the ends of his fingers just grazing my wrist, and rough with calluses. He's warm- hot really- and it makes me feel like I'm in the sun for the first time in years.

_Now where did that thought come from?_ There I go again, feeling like a twelve year-old with her first crush. Every time I'm around this man I feel like I lose part of myself, the part that's been jaded by the past ten years, the part that wants to be suspicious of people's intentions. I feel like I'm climbing higher and higher, and the adrenaline is leaving me breathless.

Seth leads me to a spot near the fire and helps me get settled. Then he jogs off towards the food. I lose myself for a moment, staring into the flames, until Max startles me when he plops breathlessly to the ground next to me.

"We played," he puffs between breaths, "hide and seek."

I smile and ruffle his hair. "Do you like playing with Claire?"

He's staring at the fire. "I guess so."

I don't press the topic. He played with someone and that's enough to have me beaming. Within a few minutes Seth is sitting next to me, balancing four plates on his arms. He extends one arm to me and I take the two plates off of it- each with a hot dog and some potato salad. I give one to Max and then I'm gaping at Seth's plate. One has hotdogs piled on it. I count ten. Ten hotdogs! The other plate has to have about a pound of potato salad. I shake my head at him. "You're going to eat yourself sick."

Seth sets his plate on the ground and pats his stomach, poking it out a bit. "This is a bottomless pit."

I laugh and dig into my own food. Soon we're joined by Embry, Quil, Claire, and Leah. Everyone is teasing each other and laughing and I find it easy to join in. This is like one big family, and I'm happy to be a part of it, even if it's just for tonight. Max stays quiet but he doesn't look uncomfortable or tense, like he normally would be around groups like this. Every now and then Claire cajoles a few words out of him. She's bossy and I can't help but love it.

Once everyone is done eating the conversation begins to die down. Billy Black sits in his wheelchair where everyone can see him, and all the attention seems to turn on him. Sue and Charlie sit right next to him.

"It makes me happy to see all of us together on these nights," he begins. "It reminds me how sacred our bond is. We are Quileute. Our history, our stories, run in our blood, deep in our veins, and that binds us together."

Everyone hums their assent. Billy continues talking. He begins telling us all the history of the tribe and their greatest chiefs. It's clear as he begins that everyone has heard these stories before by the way they nod along to his words.

Between his stories and the fire roaring beside me, I feel like I'm in a trance. Maybe we all are. Everyone is silent, hypnotized by what Billy is saying. He tells us myths of tribe warriors who can change into beasts that destroy their enemies, the Cold Ones. I know they're just stories but I can't help feeling uneasy. The way he describes the tribe's enemies makes a coldness seep into me, almost like a dread going into my bones. I shiver.

And then I'm warm again. Seth has scooted so his side is pressed against mine, and he leans on an arm that's just behind my back. I lean into him, comforted by the contact. I close my eyes while Billy finishes the tribal legends.

And then someone is gently shaking my shoulder. I groggily open my eyes and see Seth smiling down at me. "Hey," he murmurs. "Let's get you home."

I sit upright and then stand, stretching and stifling a yawn. "I guess my late nights doing paperwork must be getting to me," I say with a laugh. "Where's Max?"

"He's already at the truck. I told him I might have to carry you over there," he teases.

I roll my eyes and shove him playfully. A throat clears behind me and I turn, coming face-to-face with Leah. I swallow. She is an intimidating woman when she's staring you down. But then a smile graces her features. "You seem pretty cool. Take care of my brother, okay? He's pretty helpless." Seth shoves her and she grabs him in a headlock. They both laugh and Leah jogs away.

We stroll hand-in-hand to Seth's truck, taking our time. Neither of us talk; I think we're both enjoying the peaceful night sounds. Like Seth said, Max is waiting patiently by the truck. As soon as we all climb in Max is plugged in. I chuckle softly at him. He looks happy. He wouldn't say it, maybe he wouldn't even understand how he felt, but I think he enjoyed tonight.

Seth has turned the radio on and we listen to it in silence until we reach the house. I turn to Max and hand him my keys. "Go ahead and head up for bed," I tell him. He nods and runs towards the door. Seth and I follow him to the door, but more slowly. When we reach the door, I face him. "Tonight was amazing," I tell him. "I had no idea the tribe had such a…colorful history."

He laughs but for some reason I feel that he looks guarded. "Yeah, those stories are pretty crazy, huh?"

I lay my hand on his arm and he jumps again at the contact. "Thank you for inviting us, Seth. I had a great time. And I know Max did too."

He looks nervous. "I'm glad you had a good time. You know…everyone there loved you. If you ever needed anything? It's not just me you could go to. Quil, Leah, Emily…any of them. They would be there for you in a second." He pauses and I know he has more to say. "Andy. I would really like to take you out to dinner." He shuffles his feet again. "On a date. I would really like that."

Of course I would love it too. I feel my heart pounding at the question. But I don't want him to know how eager I feel, so I eye him playfully. "You know, usually people usually go on the date, _then_ meet the family."

Seth's eyes widened. "You mean tonight? Geez, Andy, I didn't even think you would think of it like that." He laughs and rubs his face with his hand. "I hope that didn't completely freak you out."

I can't help but laugh. "It…did at first, I'm not going to lie," I admit. "But don't worry, I'm pretty tough." I wink.

He releases a breath he must have been holding. "Good. So…can I call you tomorrow? Make a plan for dinner?"

I look in his eyes and that lost feeling finds me again. "I would like that a lot," I murmur.

Seth nods. He seems just as lost as I am. He takes my hands and squeezes them. "Goodnight, Andy."

Once I'm inside my house I lean against the door dizzily. I know a goofy smile is plastered on my face. I'm feeling like the twelve year-old with a crush again.

But you know what? I don't care.


End file.
